Unlucky Thirteen

Unlucky Thirteen

June 22, 2017 – I do often laugh that I work for the government, on the thirteenth floor, and my work phone number begins with 666.

I’m not making this up.

I’m not really laughing today though, since there is still no resolution for, nor any apparent attempt to resolve, my problem with the move to our new office shoeboxes.

Someone, somewhere, thinks that fairness equates to treating everyone the same. But in reality, treating everyone the same is not fair at all, to anyone, because it neglects to recognize the fact that we are not all the same, we are not clones, nor do we do the same jobs, and some of us require certain tools, tools which we are told we will not be provided the room to retain. Expecting someone to maintain their performance without their tools is setting them up for failure.

Further to that, it appears (to me) that the way of dealing with the issue I have presented (repeatedly) is to employ avoidance techniques and, seemingly, hope that I resolve the problems myself.

But I can’t.

Perhaps the thought is that if I make a decision to remove my resources from the office then they can rest well in the knowledge that it was my decision rather than something forced upon me. But that is unfair, demoralizing, and hurtful. Particularly since the entire issue is something that has been forced on everyone, well, except those people with offices with doors, and they are the ones being unhelpful. There is the person who has decided that I’m not his problem, the person who is leaving soon so has probably decided that I am a problem to avoid, and the person who will be coming in soon, and who is probably grateful that I am not yet his problem.

All of this is a huge problem for me.

And so here I am again….wondering how long I will continue to come into work and press that number thirteen that I used to think was lucky, but now feels anything but when I punch it.

Because the only resolution that I can see is for me to pack my things and leave the office. And I hate that thought, because there is huge value in the unexpected conversations that can result in added value to problems on the table. There are those times when a passing conversation results in an “Ah-ha” moment that clarifies a problem one has been working on.

But I currently can see no obvious alternative.

The irony is that the powers that be know that people are going to abandon the office environment, because just yesterday came an email pointing everyone to the updated teleworking agreement information.

When you do something, and you know people are going to leave because of it, doesn’t that provide enough information that it’s just a supremely bad idea?

The reality is that the powers that be really don’t care about the people in the machine. That was pretty clear in the recent cuts that suddenly weren’t.

Some people have lost a great deal of my respect. And that’s the real disappointment in all of this. And it’s left my nerves raw and frayed.

Denial seems to be working well for me… so far! Does it matter that my books are in one cubicle, my files in another and I’m in a third cubicle? Raingear in a parking spot downstairs….plants possibly in a fourth and fifth cubicle? Yes, Big Qualicum is looking better and better.

And that’s another part of what’s making me crazy. I’ve already got a few things at Cap, and I’ve also already been in one spot and needed what’s in the other. Some of my raingear is at Cap, some it at home in the garage (Kirk would be happier if it was all at Cap and none was in the garage).

Qualicum would be an awesome spot for you, nice cycle to and from Parksville and a nice quiet environment to work from. Good central location between all of your sites too.

The Philosophical Fish

Hi, I'm Paige. I'm a hobby photographer and this is a place where I can share some photos and the random mental wanderings that may accompany them. Any views you encounter here are wholly mine and don't represent any organization that I may be associated with. Like many, my thoughts and opinions change over time, a consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent space, a snapshot and evidence of the various thoughts rattling around my brain, therefore any ideas and/or opinions expressed within past posts may neither be the same, nor even similar, to those I hold today. I’m a human and my blog reflects that humanity.

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